Second Half Difference as LMU Falls at UCI, 60-39IRVINE, Calif. - The winter chill hit LMU in Irvine on Saturday as UC Irvine used a strong second half push for a 60-39 victory at Bren Events Center. The Lions (5-6) held a halftime lead but the Anteaters (7-4) won their seventh game in their last eight by knocking down seven threes after the break.

LOS ANGELES - The Lions play host to UC Irvine, Montana and North Dakota State in the DoubleTree Los Angeles Westside Thanksgiving Classic on Nov. 29-30. Montana and North Dakota State open tournament play at 1 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 29, followed by LMU against UC Irvine at 3 p.m. The consolation and championship games will be played Saturday, tipping off at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m., respectively.

TOURNAMENT HISTORY
This marks the 16th year of the Thanksgiving Classic hosted by LMU. The Lions hosted the tournament for 15 consecutive from 1997-2011, before taking a break last winter. LMU has won the tournament title five times, including three straight from 2001-03, as well as 2007 and 2008. The Lions have also been the runner-up on six occasions. UC Irvine and North Dakota State are making their first appearances in the tournament field while Montana returns for the second time, also appearing in 2009.

INSIDE THE LIONSHazel Ramirez has scored in double-figures in four of LMU's first five games this season, leading the team with 13.6 ppg. The senior point guard tallied her first 20-plus point game of the year with a 22-point effort at Long Beach State on Nov. 23. That was just three shy of her career high of 25 set last season at San Diego. Four different players have led the scoring column in a game, including Ramirez, Emily Ben-Jumbo, Deanna Johnson and Chelsea Barnes. Barnes' team-high 16 points versus Oregon State also matched her career high, set at Wyoming on Dec. 29, 2012. Taylor Anderson and Mackenzie Kerins have each totalled a double-double. Anderson's 10-point, 10-rebound effort at Utah State was a career first for the junior. Kerins tallied 12 points and 13 rebounds versus New Mexico State for her seventh career double-double. With 18 assists through four games, Ramirez brings her career total to 304, which is good for sixth in LMU's all-time record book. Next in line is Kate Murray (1999-04) with 329.

LIONS LAST LINE
Playing their fourth road game of the young season, the Lions battled, but fell 76-66 at Long Beach State on Saturday, Nov. 23. Hazel Ramirez led the Lions in scoring with 22 points, including 12 in the first half to keep the Lions close, trailing just 35-32 at the break. An early second-half surge by the 49ers opened up a 20 points game. LMU battled back multiple times, cutting the spread to as few as nine points down the stretch. Deanna Johnson joined Ramirez in double figures with 11 points off the bench, as did freshman Leslie Lopez-Wood who finished with a season-best 12 points. The freshman, known for her sharp shooting from the perimeter, found her touch for the first time this season, nailing four treys.

YOUTH COMING TOGETHER
While the 2013-14 LMU women's basketball squad features 10 returning players from a season ago, it is an underclassmen-heavy team still working on putting all of the pieces together on the court. Through five games, LMU's freshmen and sophomores have accounted for 473 minutes of the total 1,000 minutes played. In addition, junior starting forward Emily Ben-Jumbo, who is averaging nearly 25 minutes per game, saw just an average of 11 minutes per game last season, while classmate Taylor Anderson, who has started the last three games, missed the final 21 games last season due to a knee injury.

ABOUT THE UC IRVINE ANTEATERS
UC Irvine enters the week at 3-2 overall, including a 2-2 mark on the road. The Anteaters won their season opener at home, 68-64, over South Dakota, and then have been road warriors with games at Pepperdine, Nevada, Denver and Idaho. Forward Camille Buckley leads a trio of Anteaters averaging double figures with 16 ppg. She also leads the way with 10.2 rebounds per game. Jennifer Tsurumoto averages 13 ppg and Madison McKenney chips in 10.8 ppg. UCI is hitting at a 35.6 percent clip from the field and 29 percent from three. They average just 12 turnovers per game.

ABOUT THE MONTANA GRIZZLIES
Montana enters the week at 2-0 on the young season and will visit Denver on Wednesday before making the trip to Los Angeles on Friday and Saturday. Both early season wins came at home, where the Grizzlies topped MSU Northern, 76-49, and Portland, 68-61. Torry Hills is averaing 13.5 ppg to lead three players in double figures. Kellie Cole averages 13 ppg and Alycia Sims chips in 10 ppg and a team-high 9.0 rpg. Through two games, the Griz have averaged a +8.5 rebound advantage and seven fewer turnovers per game.

ABOUT THE NORTH DAKOTA STATE
North Dakota State opened the 2013-14 season with a big 112-62 win over Mayville State at home, but has since dropped four straight, including three on the road. Averaging nearly 75 ppg, the Bison are led by Brooke Lemar's 18.6 ppg and 5.0 rpg. Marena Whittle averages 10.8 ppg and Holly Johnson chips in 10.4 ppg. The Bison have shot nearly 43 percent from the field through five games, as well as 33 percent from three and 67 percent from the free-throw line.

This season, LMU launches its new online ticket system thanks to a partnership with TicketsWest. Individual game, special promotional, and season tickets to the 2013-14 LMU basketball season are on sale NOW through the new online ticketing system and all events can be done through LMULions.com/Tickets. The new print at home features helps you avoid lines and gets you to the game even faster. BUY ONLINE TODAY!